Power 11 Quote Checklist
Build a Power11 quote brief from the workload and its busiest window. Add the partition plan, storage and I/O needs, growth, and resilience.
A better Power11 quote starts with a workload brief, not a model guess.
Bring the current system facts, show what happens during the busiest sustained window, and explain what the new system must still handle years from now. The reseller can then compare S1122, S1124, or an enterprise model without filling the gaps with assumptions.
Current system and benchmark baseline
- Current IBM machine type, model, serial number, and processor feature
- Active and installed processor cores
- Published CPW for IBM i or rPerf for AIX and Linux
- Current IBM i, AIX, Linux, and VIOS levels
- Hardware Management Console model and software level
If the benchmark number is unfamiliar, use the CPW and rPerf sizing guide before choosing a target model.
Busiest sustained workload window
- Date and time of the busiest repeatable window
- Average and highest sustained processor use during that window
- Interactive demand, batch work, database work, and reporting that overlap
- Jobs that miss their current completion window
- Seasonal or month-end peaks that a normal day hides
A one-second spike does not size a server. The repeatable busy window shows what the system must carry without slowing the business.
LPAR and operating system map
- Every current logical partition and its operating system
- Dedicated or shared processor entitlement for each partition
- Current memory assigned to each partition
- Virtual I/O Server ownership for storage and network traffic
- Partitions that will be retired, merged, or added
This map protects the quote from a simple core-count mistake. S1122 can have many hardware cores while an IBM i partition remains subject to the model's LPAR boundary.
Memory, storage, and I/O demand
- Installed memory, peak use, and paging behavior
- Used and allocated storage by partition
- Internal NVMe, external SAN, tape, and cloud storage roles
- Peak read and write throughput plus latency during the busy window
- Required Fibre Channel, Ethernet, SAS, tape, and other adapters
Processor capacity can look perfect while storage or an adapter plan holds the workload back. Put both in the same quote.
Growth and resilience plan
- Expected workload growth and planned service life
- High availability design and recovery time target
- Recovery point target and backup method
- Test, development, reporting, and failover capacity
- Maintenance window and live migration requirements
The quote should cover the day the system is installed and the day it is busiest near the end of its planned life.
Copy this into the quote request
Current system
Machine type, model, processor feature, active cores, memory, and storage.
Benchmark baseline
Published CPW or rPerf plus the busiest sustained utilization window.
Partition plan
Operating system, processor, memory, and I/O for each current and planned LPAR.
Storage and adapters
Capacity, performance, latency, external storage, network, and tape requirements.
Growth
Expected workload change and target service life.
Resilience
High availability, backup, recovery, failover, and maintenance requirements.
Commercial plan
Purchase or lease preference, target date, services, support level, and budget range.
Ask the quote to name the exact machine type, processor feature, IBM i tier, and memory. It should also state storage and adapters, expansion drawers, operating system assumptions, and services. A model name alone is not a configuration.